Type 2 Diabetes: Screening for Children

Topic Overview

Starting at age 10 or at the beginning of puberty, a child who has a
body mass index (BMI) in the 85th percentile or higher
for his or her age—or whose weight is more than 120% of ideal—and who has two
of the following risk factors needs to be tested for
type 2 diabetes every 3 years:footnote 1

A parent, brother, or sister with type 2
diabetes

The child's mother developed gestational diabetes while pregnant with the child

If the results of a blood glucose test mean that your
child's blood sugar is higher than normal but not yet at the level of diabetes, he or she has
prediabetes. If your child eats a balanced diet and gets regular exercise,
he or she may not develop diabetes.

For more information, see the
Interactive Tool: What Is Your Child's BMI? and the topic Type 2 Diabetes in
Children.

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